III112th CONGRESS1st SessionS. RES. 299IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESOctober 19, 2011Mr. Merkley (for
himself, Mr. Crapo,
Mr. Kohl, and Mr. Lautenberg) submitted the following resolution;
which was considered and agreed toRESOLUTIONDesignating October 2011 as National
Work and Family Month.Whereas, according to a report by WorldatWork, a nonprofit
professional association with expertise in attracting, motivating, and
retaining employees, the quality of workers' jobs and the supportiveness of the
workplace of the workers are key predictors of the job productivity, job
satisfaction, and commitment to the employer of those workers, as well as of
the ability of the employer to retain those workers;Whereas work-life balance refers to specific
organizational practices, policies, and programs that are guided by a
philosophy of active support for the efforts of employees to achieve success
within and outside the workplace, such as caring for dependents, health and
wellness, paid and unpaid time off, financial support, community involvement,
and workplace culture;Whereas numerous studies show that employers that offer
effective work-life balance programs are better able to recruit more talented
employees, maintain a happier, healthier, and less stressed workforce, and
retain experienced employees, which produces a more productive and stable
workforce with less voluntary turnover;Whereas job flexibility often allows parents to be more
involved in the lives of their children, and research demonstrates that
parental involvement is associated with higher achievement in language and
mathematics, improved behavior, greater academic persistence, and lower dropout
rates in children;Whereas military families have special work-family needs
that often require robust policies and programs that provide flexibility to
employees in unique circumstances;Whereas studies report that family rituals, such as
sitting down to dinner together and sharing activities on weekends and
holidays, positively influence the health and development of children and that
children who eat dinner with their families every day consume nearly a full
serving more of fruits and vegetables per day than those who never eat dinner
with their families or do so only occasionally; andWhereas the month of October is an appropriate month to
designate as National Work and Family Month: Now, therefore, be itThat the Senate—(1)designates
October 2011 as National Work and Family Month;(2)recognizes the
importance of work schedules that allow employees to spend time with their
families to job productivity and healthy families;(3)urges public
officials, employers, employees, and the general public to work together to
achieve more balance between work and family; and(4)calls upon the
people of the United States to observe National Work and Family Month with
appropriate ceremonies and activities.